


Boys Like You

by myvibraniumheart



Series: i dreamed a dream [1]
Category: B.A.P, Block B, EXO, EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Foursome - M/M/M/M, M/M, OT4, Polyamory, Threesome - M/M/M, polyamorous
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-15 07:36:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5777101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myvibraniumheart/pseuds/myvibraniumheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He couldn't help it. He typed polyamorous relationships in the search engine bar and wallowed silently at the results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. one.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taeilcoat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taeilcoat/gifts).



> Inspired by rxnkim's dream... It was originally Himchan but I wanted Jongin, so... owo 
> 
> Check out her other fic in this series, too. Enjoy!

Youngjae sometimes had the afternoon shift at the bar - he wiped the shot glasses, checked if the ingredients were all ready for the long night ahead, occasionally servicing the customers when other staff weren't available. For now, the place had light streaming inside it, the thick blinds drawn up and the wait staff were serving food at the half filled tables that were in the middle of the venue, only to be pushed against the sides of the room when night struck. The quiet was a stark contrast to the evenings seen by this place, a resto bar strategically located in the middle of the city. 

It was quite serene, except when he remembered the mild atrocities that occur here every night, and he suppressed a light shudder. 

People watching was something that he felt that was ingrained in him; he always saw something that others didn't, and on top of that, it was amusing at best. Somehow being the quiet one in the background paid well - he had always been the wallflower, the gears turning in his head as he pieced things together in a corner of the room. Youngjae was comfortable that way. He was smart, and he knew it, and he also knew that not many would understand someone like him. 

If only the job at the library paid as well as being a bartender, then he could avoid obnoxious people who thought they can jump at the chance of asking people for sex using mediocre dance moves and promises of drinks. 

Placing the last glass down, he proceeded to wipe the bar table when three guests entered the place, sitting themselves in one booth. He recognized one of them, the boy in his year in university, with brown hair and a loud laugh echoing through the halls that one time he passed by. They sat huddled, close together, the boy from school between them. He had lost interest, but before he looked away something had caught his attention - Youngjae paused when he saw the brunette holding hands with the blonde one, while his hand was on the tall, slender one's thigh. 

He blinked. As if on cue, the brunette held his eyes for a moment, before flashing him a coy smile. It seemed to catch the attention of the two other boys, the blonde looking at him with mild interest, then turning his eyes to the brunette, whispering something in his ear that makes him chuckle, and the tall, slender one giving Youngjae a subtle once over before paying attention to his phone, pressing closer to the brunette, resting his chin on his shoulder. 

It was, admittedly, one of the most curious things Youngjae had seen so far. His ears suddenly felt hot and he felt the need to excuse himself, god knows why, but he stayed put as more customers filed in. Even so, he can't help but observe the three boys and how they interacted. They were quite attractive, unfairly so, and he noticed that no one else came to join them. They ate and chatted and drank, and before the sun set, they were off. 

Youngjae himself was one hour away from the end of his shift - he was always grateful for afternoon hours - and he watched the trio from the half opened blinds of the restobar, no physical contact, but close. 

Peculiar. 

Youngjae didn't know why he was so interested. He shouldn't be. It was probably nothing, just a group of close friends having a meal and a couple of drinks. 

He ended the shift on a dull note, his mind on the three boys that were like distinct planets revolving around one another. 

\--

He couldn't help it. He typed polyamorous relationships in the search engine bar and wallowed silently at the results. 

Polyamory was something that he hadn't touched. He had heard of it, certainly, joint marriages and threesomes were a minority and they existed, primarily in the west, and it somehow involved one male and two females on a more common scale, not three males. As it is, it was the first time that Youngjae had seen such a relationship up close (apart from porn movies, he admitted to himself with a soft snort), and he hated to say that his interest was piqued. How did it work? Did they get jealous? Were they allowed to spend time with each other while the other was gone? Was that cheating? 

Youngjae clicked link after link. Polyamorous people just want to love, and be loved. They loved more than one person all at once. It was unclear to him if they loved one person more than the other, and wouldn't that hurt? He yawned, and his eyes glance at the clock - 1:03am. He still had class tomorrow morning at 8, and Youngjae hated himself for doing this to himself over and over again. 

\---

Youngjae saw the brunette in university the next day, but this time, he was alone, poring over what looked like music sheets as he walked to the gates. He was on his way home before going to the bar for his shift, and he usually went the same way as the boy did. Trudging forward, knowing that there was nothing to be embarrassed about, he walked the same way, clutching his backpack straps as he eyed the other.

There was a car waiting for him with the windows rolled down, Youngjae noted as he crossed the street, and he saw that it was the blonde picking his schoolmate up. In the front seat was the tall boy, and oddly enough Youngjae wished he knew their names so he could create their image better in his mind. The brunette took the back seat of the car and gave the two boys small kisses in greeting. He walked away before any one of them noticed his presence, stopping at the waiting shed for the bus. 

They drove past him, and he thought the tall boy gave him a small smile as they went. 

\---

It had been a few weeks and he hadn't seen them together again. Youngjae wasn't about to talk to his schoolmate about it, but he wanted to know more about them. For science, he reasoned - for the sake of knowledge. 

At the bar, the blinds were drawn and the music made the bar table vibrate with energy. Guests filtered in easily - it wasn't a high end bar and people his age could enter at will, each with their own goals, he knew. Wiping dry a glass of wine with a clean white rag, Youngjae's heart skipped to his throat when he sees the trio entering again, after weeks of absence. They were dressed casually yet tastefully, to each his unique style, but he could tell that if they were apart, they could take anyone they want home. He had already seen such attires from many guests, and superficial as it was, it grabbed attention. Heads turned, male and female, as they sauntered over to one of the booths, the tables from the afternoon pushed to the sides to reveal the dance floor. The lights sometimes made him dizzy, but it didn't take his eyes off the boys, before someone tried to get his attention to order the first drink of the night. He served him, mildly distracted when he discovered that he had run out of ice. 

Mechanically, Youngjae entered the back room to fetch some ice and transferred it from the huge cooler to the small one he brought, walking back out the bar table to place it beside him for later. Straightening up, he almost jumps when he saw the brunette sitting in one of the stools in front of him before he controlled his expression. 

The boy laughed. "A bit jittery, aren't you?"

Youngjae sighed internally. He hoped that he'd leave to go with his friends, boyfriends, whatever they are, soon. "What can I get you?" He tried to deliver the spiel as calmly as he could, but the boy just smiles wider. 

"Long Island Iced Tea. Can I buy you a drink?"

It was way too soon for this. "No thanks," Youngjae replied automatically, not even smiling at him, preparing his drink as quickly as he can without spilling anything. 

"You're from Literature, right? I'm Daehyun," he called out over the music. The boy, Daehyun, seemed too confident that Youngjae would eventually care, and he lets him. They usually went away after a while. He tried to concentrate on the ingredients of the drink - vodka, tequila, white rum, gin, lemon juice - he lost what little focus he had when Daehyun craned his neck to look at his name tag. "Youngjae. Hi, Youngjae."

"Hey," he can't help but reply, pouring everything into a shaker, shaking it vigorously. He pours it into a glass with a flourish, putting a sliced lemon on the lip of the glass and handing it to Daehyun. 

"Nice. Talented, too?"

He snorted. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Your number?"

Youngjae shot him a look, then glanced over to his companions, the two not even watching the exchange, the tall one leading the blonde to the dance floor. Maybe it wasn't what he thought, but he pushed the thought away before he could actually care too much. "We don't give numbers to customers. Enjoy your drink," he said dismissively, going to the other side of the bar table to check if there was anything else to do there in preparation, because he didn't think that Daehyun would just leave on his own. 

He was relieved when he saw Daehyun walk away and when he deemed it safe enough, he resumed his post at the center of the bar. It wouldn't do well for their manager to find him abandoning it during his shift. Where was Junhong when you needed him? He usually scared away strangers. 

"Hey good looking," said another voice, and Youngjae turned to see the tall, slender boy. His features were sharp, jaw chiseled, and his hair was dark and tousled rather effortlessly. "Can I have a beer, please?" 

Youngjae rolled his eyes, not too subtly, and it somehow made the boy smile. "Youngjae," the boy said his name, and it's almost curious, how to sounded from his mouth. "My name is Jongin." 

Finally, a name to the face, Youngjae thought. "Are you free after your shift?"

He sighed. "No." Youngjae placed Jongin's ice cold beer in front of him, and the other takes a leisurely swig, eyeing him. He felt that he was being pulled apart like he was some specimen up for consideration and he tried not to squirm visibly. "Just one dance?"

"I'm working. Have a good night, Jongin," Youngjae said as other customers come up for their orders. 

The night dragged on, and there may be one or two more people that attempted to flirt with him, but he paid them no mind. It came with the job, he knew. Most of them were there for sex, and he guessed it was safe to assume that it was what Daehyun and Jongin wanted as well. 

Youngjae sighed, a mild frown marring his face as he worked through his shift without another visit, the crowd busy dancing against other writhing bodies. 

It was almost one in the morning when a new person sat on the stool in front of him. The blonde was slightly sweaty from dancing, looking disheveled but still attractive enough to turn a few heads as they passed the bar. "What can I get you?" Youngjae asked, trying not to be too begrudging, and the boy smiled almost softly. 

"Are you having a bad night? Three shots of tequila please." 

Youngjae reached behind him to get the half filled bottle of tequila, easily pouring it to three shot glasses and sliding them carefully to the blonde. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Youngjae. This is for you," he said, pushing the one glass to his direction, and he tried not to be too startled being called by his first name when he was wearing his name tag. His paranoia was out of bounds. "Cheers," the blonde said, smiling charmingly at him before raising his glass. Ah, what the hell. He was tired, and maybe he did need loosening up. Whatever. He blamed it on the late hour. Youngjae raised the shot glass and clinked it with the boy's, knocking it back quickly. "So," the boy started after drinking both of his shots one after the other, "Are you free later?"

God. "No." 

"Well, that's too bad," he replied, swirling the top of his glass with his index finger, "My boyfriends seem to be interested in you."

Youngjae paused, unsure if he heard right. "Boyfriends?" He repeated. So it was true. 

"We know you know, you're a smart boy," the blonde praised. Youngjae felt his ears turn pink, and the other chuckled. "My name is Yukwon." Another name to another face. He certainly looked more used to these kinds of things than the other two. Maybe he's the one that brought them all together. "Are you interested? We'd like to take you out sometime."

He thought he'd had enough. "N-no, no thank you." Youngjae wanted to smack himself for stuttering. Yukwon merely smiled gently, like he wasn't surprised. 

"Let us know if you change your mind. We'd like to get to know you." From where Youngjae was standing, he could see that Daehyun and Jongin were pressed into a corner of the bar, their lips locked. Daehyun's arms were wrapped around Jongin's neck, his legs around his hips as the taller boy caged him against the wall. It sent another wave of heat to Youngjae's face. He swallowed. 

Following his gaze, Yukwon turned his head, licking his lips before turning back to Youngjae with a small smirk. "See you soon, yeah? You take care." The blonde hopped off his stool and tread through the crowd, to his boyfriends, and upon reaching them he puts his hand on Jongin's ass, pressing his lips to the taller boy's neck, and Youngjae forced himself to look away from them again, with effort. 

God. What was this? Did he even belong to such a thing? 

Ignoring the heat traveling south, he excused himself from the bar, tapping the newly arrived Junhong's back and running to the staff bathroom, locking himself inside. Youngjae paced, trying to get the heat out of system and he groaned at the tent in his slacks.

"Fucking classy, Youngjae. Fuck," he cursed quietly, licking his lips and going to the sink to wash his face, trying to think of something else. He had calmed down some after the splash of cool water, and he looked at himself in the mirror. 

"No. Okay? No." 

There was a bang on the door, asking him if he would still take long - his manager. Youngjae sighed, pulling a napkin from the dispenser and wiping his face dry, tossing it to the trash when he was done before heading out, instinctively looking at the end of the bar before he could stop himself. 

They were gone.


	2. two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If only he could chop his own head off, or maybe take out his brain. He refused to admit that the images of the three boys came up more than once when he was alone in his room, and the temperature seemed to rise.

He had half expected the three boys to follow him around and suddenly appear before him, but they didn't. Youngjae almost scolded himself for his conceit. Maybe it was all a joke, and they were just trying to get a fourth wheel for the night. He felt more insecure rather than confident after that thought.

Youngjae still saw Daehyun around campus, but he was far enough for anything more than glances, or even eye contact. He was fine with that. He probably knew his reaction to him and Jongin, and he hated that he allowed himself to feel that way. He thought he was better than that.

The boy holed up in his apartment for long enough, and not for the first time, he despised himself for being a thinker. If only he could chop his own head off, or maybe take out his brain. He refused to admit that the images of the three boys came up more than once when he was alone in his room, and the temperature seemed to rise.

He didn't know how to fix it.

Youngjae wanted to fix it.

Maybe they already forgot about him. Youngjae wasn't sure why he felt a bit down, disappointed, even. Maybe they've already found a more willing fourth person.

Was he not willing? What was he so scared of? What if he just said yes?

Is that wrong?

He also didn't want to acknowledge that he had built steady images of them in his mind.

Youngjae thought that Yukwon seemed the most mature, the most genuine. He appeared to want to get to know him better - take you out, the blonde did say, if Youngjae recalled correctly under the haze of locked lips and tequila, but did he mean it?

He had been watching Daehyun for weeks because of it - the brunette was the only contact he had with them. Daehyun seemed the cheerful, loud type; he had a nice singing voice, Youngjae discovered, and was a music major, practicing singing. He had a number of piercings on his right ear, some on his earlobe. His hair had also gone long, and Youngjae realized that they haven't come back to the bar in almost three weeks. He can't believe that he was still thinking about it, as opposed to letting it go like every other encounter he had had at the bar.

Jongin was somewhat more quiet, more serious than the two; but the way he pressed Daehyun into the wall - he seemed strong, fiery, rough and raw --

"Hi."

Youngjae looked up from his thick textbook on Art Appreciation - he was reading on the samples of Minimalist art and he felt the crick in his neck as he did so. His jaw went slightly slack as Daehyun stood before him, his lips moving - he was saying something.

The boy waved a hand in front of him. "Hello? Earth to Youngjae."

"... Oh. Yeah?" He licked his chapped lips, taking in his appearance. Daehyun was dressed casually; a white v-neck shirt, a jacket and a beanie. He looked... endearing. Youngjae found it somewhat hard to believe that this was the boy being pushed into bar walls and --

Daehyun smiled as if he were the one who's embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah? I was asking if this seat is taken."

"Sure. No. Yeah, go ahead," Youngjae rambled for the right response, trying to keep the image out of his mind; here, Daehyun was a student, just like him. He pulled out the chair in front of Youngjae and placed sheet music on the table, shrugging off his backpack. Youngjae felt anxiety bubbling in his chest and chastised himself for being so nervous. It's not like Daehyun will try anything in a school facility.

It's not like he would try anything, period. Maybe he was a little too paranoid.

"How have you been?" The boy offered him a small, warm smile.

"Good..." Youngjae trailed off, realizing that he can't look him in the eye. He pretended that the photo of organized white tiles with one black dot in between them was more interesting than what Daehyun was here for.

"Youngjae," Daehyun started, and he heard the smile in his voice. "There's a new place in town. We're having dinner tonight, Italian food. It's near the bar." He did see that place have a soft opening two days ago. So they've been in the area after all. "Would you like to come?" The brunette tapped the end of his pencil on Youngjae's book to get his attention, and he lifted his head finding Daehyun leaning close. The boy smiled, and Youngjae swallowed. "Aish... You. Don't look so scared," Daehyun broke the trance and rested back on his chair.

"I'm not scared," was Youngjae's automatic reply.

Daehyun's eyes seemed to be glinting with mirth. "I know you're not, babe." Youngjae's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets and Daehyun laughed quietly. "Guess that means I'll pick you up, then? Do you have work tonight?"

Oh, shoot. He was cornered. "I... Yeah. Yeah, okay."

"At the bar?"

He had the afternoon shift later. Perfect for dinner. "Alright." What the hell, he thought. It's not like he'll ever rest until he got answers. Maybe it's time to get his questions into light.

Daehyun flashed him an almost blinding smile, and he can't help but return it; shyly, with a little hesitation. The boy seemed to understand. "See you later, Youngjae," he said, making to stand and taking his things quietly, throwing in a cheeky wink that made Youngjae roll his eyes.

When he was gone, Youngjae let out a quiet groan, resting his forehead against his long forgotten book.

What did he get himself into?

\---

Five minutes until the end of his shift at the bar and Youngjae was already feeling jittery. He had changed into something more casual - he hoped he didn't seem overly eager but he'd rather be caught dead than wear his long sleeves, black vest and bow tie to dinner. Donning a black button up, jeans and sneakers, he rubbed his clammy hands together as he glanced at the clock every now and then. Was Daehyun going to be late?Youngjae would sure have something to say if he was; he hated being off schedule, as well as people not respecting his value for time.

The glass door swung open and Youngjae almost sagged in relief when he saw Daehyun with a smile on his face - did he ever not look happy? "Hey, Youngjae," he said as he came closer, and Youngjae took his backpack under the bar table and met him in the middle of the restobar, mumbling a soft hello. Together, they walked out, Youngjae trying not to be too stiff and Daehyun, ever relaxed, opened the door for him.

Outside was Yukwon, leaning against the light post with a cigarette in his hand, his face breaking out in a pleasant smile, and Jongin beside him, texting. The blonde elbowed the other lightly, putting out his cigarette on the nearby bin, and Jongin met his eyes, offering him a timid smile. "I'm glad you can come along," Yukwon began, falling in step with him and Daehyun, holding Jongin's hand.

He failed to notice that Yukwon also had a number of piercings, more than Daehyun, while Jongin had a couple in one ear. He wondered how it felt like to run his tongue on each one of them --

"-- was work today?" Yukwon turned to him, and he realized that he was being spoken to again. Daehyun chuckled, saying, "He has gears turning in his head on overtime."

Youngjae squinted at Daehyun and sighed because he didn't want to come off as rude on a first date.

Date. With four people. It isn't even a double date. It's a date date.

He wondered what people thought of them, but then again, he hadn't really thought of that after he graduated from high school. He was slightly overweight then; fat and gay, his classmates had said, and he pushed the thought out of his head before it could make further of a mark. He had worked hard to shed his remaining baby fat over college, but with being open to males or females -- why did it matter? -- that, he couldn't change. Out of the corner of his eye Youngjae saw Daehyun raise his arm near his own, like he would want to make contact, and then stopping himself and putting his hand in his pocket and his other arm looping around Yukwon's instead. Youngjae didn't know if he would have minded.

It didn't matter.

They entered the restaurant and the smell of fresh herbs and baked bread filled his senses. Yukwon led them to a booth farthest from the window, and Youngjae felt comfort in that. He didn't like being watched. Daehyun sat next to Jongin and the latter automatically wraps his arm around the brunette's shoulders, pulling him close. Daehyun complained quietly about Jongin always being on his phone, making the other chuckle and put his phone down, telling him that he was on the higher level of Color Switch and he can't possibly give up now. This earned him another soft whine and Jongin presses his lips to Daehyun's temple, saying something in his ear. Youngjae suddenly felt the need to look away.

Yukwon sat beside him and asked some things about him, telling him that it was okay to ask his questions, too. And so he did.

Youngjae had learned that they had been together for almost a year, and Daehyun and Yukwon had been with each other for longer than that. They lived together in a one bedroom apartment near Yukwon's friend's tattoo parlor where he works part time. Yukwon also worked as a mechanic. Daehyun was a music student major in voice, as Youngjae had previously known, and Jongin was enrolled in the dance academy in the city.

When he asked about how they came to be, the three of them shared a look that made all of them smile, including Youngjae.

"Yukwon went to dance class with Jongin once," Daehyun started, the most open and talkative of the three. Jongin ran his fingers through Daehyun's hair, and Youngjae's fingers twitched. He wondered how his hair felt like under his fingertips. Youngjae vaguely noted the tattoo of some symbol on Jongin's wrist. He wanted to learn what it meant. "Then when I met Yukwon after class, I saw him... And it kind of snowballed from there," Daehyun admitted with a short laugh, his eyes turning into slits as he smiled.

Jongin snorted, "You mean the time when --"

"Shhh, not now!" Daehyun placed his palm over Jongin's lips and Yukwon chuckled. "Later!" Jongin rolled his eyes, pulled the hand from his lips, pinching Daehyun's side lightly and earning him a yelp. Youngjae couldn't help but laugh.

It wasn't half bad. He and Daehyun shared friendly bordering snappy banter that made the others laugh, so Youngjae guessed he was off the hook. Jongin had questions for him, and silently, Youngjae wanted to unravel what he was all about, where his secrets lie. Yukwon was the most warm, and he knew he was the person they all gravitated on -- he made them feel safe and taken cared of, from before the meal up to the end. He didn't let Youngjae split the bill with him and the blonde proposed that he can chip in for 'next time', to where Youngjae agreed without thinking.

"Sometimes, you have to quiet down up here," Daehyun teased him, tapping his own temple. "It helps sometimes."

Youngjae suddenly saw himself on the couch, beside Jongin as he read his notes for his long exam the next day, while the other boy was watching television. He then saw that he was with Yukwon at three in the morning with cups of tea beside them in the balcony, talking about life, anything and everything. Then he was with Daehyun in school, eating lunch together in the cafeteria with easy touches from under the table.

It was pleasant. It somehow made him feel warm and some other things that he couldn't describe.

They had said their goodbyes when the restaurant began to empty out, and he had given his number to them before they parted ways. Youngjae appreciated them for respecting his own space -- Yukwon gave his shoulder a small squeeze, Jongin a small nod and a smile, and Daehyun, oh, Daehyun, Youngjae thought fondly, had asked permission if he could give him a hug.

"Yeah?" Daehyun said with an endearing shy smile after Youngjae had nodded a yes, approaching him slowly and wrapping his arms around his shoulders, giving him a short, warm hug. "I'm glad you came along," Daehyun mumbled in his ear before letting go. "See you tomorrow in school?"

"Okay."

Youngjae had somehow felt the sense of longing because he'll be coming home in his own apartment alone. It was usually a rare, fleeting thought. He was fine on his own. Yukwon had offered to drop him off at his house; but Youngjae declined. Maybe next time, he had said. He'd be okay taking the bus from there to his house anyway.

The night was quiet when the three boys had headed home in Yukwon's car, and Youngjae walked the opposite direction. The wind blew then and he put his hands inside his pockets for warmth. Maybe he didn't have to walk home alone all the time. Maybe he deserved a hand to hold on the way, and arms to keep him warm.

Somehow, Youngjae never thought that he would be attracted to more than one person; not only on the physical level, but mentally, emotionally. He hadn't thought himself capable of loving more than one person.

Maybe next time, he'd ask questions about that too.


End file.
